Electrical connector



Dec .25,1951, 'ws. WATTS 2,580,206

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Spt. 2 1944 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR William ,5. Wazis EYS Dec. S. WATTS ELEQTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 2, 1944 Y SSheets-Sheet 3 'INVENTOR Y William 15'. WZKZS ATTO EYS Patented ljec. 2 5, i9i

UNYEED SEAT ES V PAT ENT 0 PF! CE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR William- S. Watts, Dearborn, Mic-ha, assiign'or to Aircraft-Marine Products Inc-z, Harrisburg, Pat, a corporation: ofNbw I ersey= Application September. 2, 1944, Serial N 0. 552.523

7' (Si-aims. 1 This invention relates. to connectors. and particularly to readily disconnectible connectors of the type having blades. pressed face-to-face with blades of counterpart connectors.

In order that a. good. electrical connection may be made between. electrical. conductors by means. of a connector of the so-called solderless. type... it is important, first, that. the counterpart. termilnals which, together form the. connector. be of highly conductive. metal.. such, for example, as. comparatively pure. copper. and, secondly... that the surfaces. which are. broughttogether to complete. the. electrical connection be. also of the. highlyconductive metalandengage over a, rela-- tively large areato reduce as. far as. possibl'eany resistance to.- flow of current. through the, contact.v Various. connectors have been designed which. provide separable connection between electrical. conductors... Forv the. most part. such. connectors make contact not directly with. each other. but. through. an inter-mediate. conducting member. One. object. or the: present invention is toeliminate such: intermediate member and. thus to. simplify the; structure and to reduce the con tact: resistance. In. copending applications, Se.- rial. Numbers 530,296,, now Patent. No. 2,478,143,. and 530,311 of. myself and of James C, Macy. re.-

sp-ectively, both. iiled- April 10, 1944,. are. shown? various connectors adapted to be. directly interengaged with blades which lie in iace-to-face contact and integral clips for holding the blades; pressedinto such contact. With-all of such. parts-.- formed integrally. of the highly conductive metal, certain. important? advantages are attained. but certain. limitations are imposed. which may be-= come; important under special conditions. of use.. It.is;-an.obj.ect of. this invention to-overcome such limitations and thereby tomake thistype ofccnnector more. generally applicable. to provide goodand secure electrical and mechanical connection.

It. iswell understood. that the meta-lsmost suitable. for effecting. solderlesselectrical. connections. because: of their. high conductivity, are. comparatively, soft and. malleable. and. have very limited. inherent resiliency. In connections described. in the copendi'ng applications. above re.- ferred' to, this softness and liability to easy deformation is taken advantage of and is an important feature of the invention; When, however, the connectors are to. be used in. places Where they are subjected to stress which tends seriously to deform or disconnect: such connectors when in use. a special problem is encountered which it. is an object. of thepresentinvention to Solve.

Al. general'jobject, of" the present. invention: is to provide an: improved electrical connector capable of repeated. connection and disconnection with. counterpart. connectors; One. feature of? the invention by which these objects are achieved is that, the contact faces. of. conductor terminals are of softer. metal; maintained. in good contact with. each. other. by means associated therewith. formed. of'a.meta1,.metal1 alley or other material which. is. more; resilient, than. the me al" of the engagin contactfaces.

The invention further ai'ms so to construct the; counterpart. terminals. of the connector that, when brought. intojconductive. engagement with. each other and pressed into face-to-face. contact, these; counterpart, connectors will. be. interlocked, preferably both against enclwise. sep.ara.--

tion and againstsidewiseseparation..

Another important.- feature of. the. invention. is. the arrangement, of the resilient. contact. maintaining means. in such relation'to the'cooperating parts of. the-counterpart terminalsthat. when the counterpart terminals are brought into. the. desired: conductive. relation to eachother... the. said resilient.- means will automatically become. efiectiveto; maintain. them. insuch. relation.

Gther objects and important. features. ofv the. invention to} which reterence. has. not.v specifically been made hereinabove will appear hereinafter when. the; following description. and; claims are considered. connection: with the accompanying; drawings.

Although; in: these drawings and. in the iollovsb ins; specification; I: have shown a preferred. em.-

bodiment of. my inventionandvarious a1terna-- tires and. modifications; thereon. it. is understood that. these; are not.- intended to; be: exhaustive; nor limiting; of: the: invention-n but... on the contrary,. are given; with azviewi to-illustratingand explain.- in& the: principles2 of. thcdnvention; and their. em bodiment for practical; use in order that, others. skilled in. the art maybe; enabled to adapt. modify: them in; numerous embodiments; and; modificationneach. as; may be. best; adapted. to. theconditionszotamg: particular use...

In theadrawings.

Figure.- l-. 133.31.- perspective view: of. a. conductor: terminal constituting: one: of. the: counterpart. elea merits. of." a. connector.- of: the. -knife; switch; type; embodyingjtherpreserritinvention;

Figure 2. is: as section. on the: line: 2+2; of Fig.- ure l Figure 3 is a view in sideelevation of another embodiment of the invention';

Figure 4 isabottom viewof the same;

Figure 5 is a view in cross section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation of another embodiment of the invention in which the resilient means comprises a separate element;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a view partly in perspective and partly in section of a connection similar to that of Figures 6 and 7, but with a different spring member; 7

Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of an embodiment of the invention in which a separate resilient means is used in the form of a clip arranged to be sprung sidewise over the contacting blades;

Figure 10 is a section on the line l0l0 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a section similar to Figure 10 but showing a modification of the clip construction;

Figure 12 is another section similar to Figure 10 but showing a modification both of the clip construction and of the overlapping terminal construction;

Figure 13 is a side elevation of still another embodiment of the invention in which the spring clip is sprung sidewise over the overlapping terminals, this embodiment showing the terminals themselves so constructed that .they interlock when maintained in conductive relation to each other;

Figure 14 is a plan view of the overlapping terminals shown in Figure 13 with the clip shown in section;

Figure 15 is a section on the line I5-l5 of I and interlocking terminals with the clip shown in section.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the resilient means of the present invention is shown as applied to counterpart terminals of the knife-disconnect type similar to that disclosed in the copending application Serial No. 530,296;

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the clip part 2 of each of the counterpart terminals is formed of a metal, metal alloy or other material of considerably greater resiliency than that of the highly conductive metal employed to form the blade 4. Since the actual electrical connection is made through the contacting faces of the counterpart blades 4 of the connectors, it is not important that the clip 2 be of highly conductive material and there is even advantage in making it of an insulating material, for example, cellulose ester, vinylidene polymer, etc. As shown, the primary function of the clip 2 is to hold the adjacent faces of the blades 4 in good face-to-face contact over substantially their entire face area and thus to reduce as far as possible the contact resistance between the faces and to give a strong frictional engagement between the counterpart connectors such as will hold them against accidental disengagement.

The clip 2 maybe connected to the blade 4 in any suitable. manner, as, for example, bending parts over, and embracing the blade 4, or by spot welding thereto, or both. To this end the blade 4 is provided in its loweredge with a notch 6 having an inclined bottom 8 which forms an acute angle with the face of the blade 4 remote from the main part of the clip 2 and thus forms an undercut edge over which the lip iii of the clip 2 is bent to give secure engagement.

Cooperating notches 16 on the upper edge of the blade 4 receive the portions l4 at opposite ends of the clip. It will be obvious that when the clip 2 has been secured upon the blade 4 in the manner shown, it will be held firmly in position and the free arm l8 thereof close to the blade 4 at 22, but with the edge 20 spaced from the edge of the blade 4 a distance slightly more than the thickness of the blade 4. The spacing at the upper edge of the blade is slightly less than the thickness of the blade so that when a counterpart blade is inserted under the clip, the latter will press the counterpart blade throughout its width into full face-to-face engagement with the front face of the blade to which the clip is attached.

As shown in Figure 2 the lower edge of the clip 2 is bent outwardly as shown at 29 to faoili-,

tate insertion of a blade 4 of the counterpart terminal in the clip. If desired, latching means of any of the types hereinafter described may be provided to effect interlocking of the parts against the angular movement necessary to disconnection.

The counterpart connectors may be provided with any appropriate means 24 for connecting it more or less permanently to one of the wires 25 or other members to be connected.

In Figures 3 to 5, inclusive, a connector is shown with an integral clip 3 turned back from the edge of the blade portion 4a with a spacing therefrom at said edge equal to or only slightly less than the thickness of the blade 4a and sloping from said edge toward the opposite edge of the blade, closer to the face of the blade, all as set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 530,296.

The lower edge of the blade 4a is recessed at 6a to receive the bent over end lfla of a spring clip 2a. As in the case described above and shown in Figures 1 and 2, the clip 2a may be made of any spring material metallic or insulating as desired. If it is desired to use an insulating material it may be a thermoplastic or thermosetting material molded in situ so as to completely cover the external surfaces of the clip 3 and the back of the blade 4a in the area behind the clip. If the clip 2a is of metal, the end Ida is advantageously secured as by spot welding or brazing, although that is not essential.

The main body of the clip 2a fits closely to the clip 3 and the back of the blade 4a, but the edge 29a is formed into a catch which, as best shown in Figures 4 and 5, extends across the mouth of the gap between clip 3 and blade 4a. On its lower (external) edge the catch 20a is sloped away from the mouth of the gap both vertically and longitudinally of the blade whereby to earn the catch aside when a counterpart 6 and 7, the counterpart terminals are not, of the knife disconnect type but comprise simply blades 4b, angular in section, and preferably formed integral with the ferrules 24, each blade having between its ends a portion thereof stamped inwardly to form a tongue 30 extending 76' across the apex of the dihedral angle and a recess in the, recess; 3.21 ofthe other blade, which has.

beenformed by the stamping of the tonguefrom the angle apex. It. will be seen that; thistengageg. ment. of the tongue Staci one blade vizithv the. recess 32 of the other. blade eliects. a. locking of these blades against. length-wise disengagementzso. long as they are: held in the faceatogface relatev tionas shownmFi'guresdandfll.

To efiect. a. holding of: the: blades. in the; good electrically conductive. engagement as shown in Figures 6 and 7., a resilient: clip. 2b is provided. Such a ell-p 21). may be more or less permanently: secured; to each counterpart connectoras in the case illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or it may: be an elementseparate from either of the counter part blades, this clip being formed of a metal; metal alley: or other material of suflici'ent resilienoy-toresi'st permanent: deformation, but yieldableto-d-irect transverse pressure to permit sepaa ration.- ot the counterpart connectors. As shown in Figure 7, the c-lipib ispreferably-open at-oneside-so that it may either besprungintopositionlaterally overthe blades ibafter they have beenbrought. intothe interlocking relation shown in- Fig-ures 6- and 7-, or it may be slipped over one ofthe counterpart terminals before they are brought into this relationship and thenslid; lengthwise thereof intothe' position shown in- Figures 6 and 7. In either event the resiliency of' the clip 2b is sufiicient to maintain the contact faces of the blades 41) in goodelectrically conductive engagement with each other;

Asshown in Figure 8', a" tube; of stiff resilient insulating material 2c replaces the: clip- 21). Asthis tube is normally of relatively fiat elliptical cross-section in its central portion, its tendency to regain its original shape serves to press the blades db together at the same time affording complete insulation for the connection, as more particularly described and claimed in a copending application, Serial Number; 562,975, filed November 11, 1944, now abandoned. When the tube is to be slipped over or removed from the connection, it is compressed on its major axis so that-itiseX-pandedon its-minor axis,v

It; will be seen that the blades; 412.. are notonly, locked against lengthwise displacement. QI dis:- connectionby reason ofthe engagement of" the tongue in one blade in the recess 32 of the other blade but that, by reason of their angular shapes, when the clip 2b or 20 is in the position shown in Figures 6 to 8, they are interlocked also against sidewise displacement or disconnection.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 9 to 11, inclusive, the blades 4d of the counterpart connectors are advantageously formed integral with their ferrules H but are here shown as flat blades presenting contact faces of relatively large area, each blade being provided with an opening it therethrough, of generally rectangular shape, adapted to register with a projecting portion of the spring clip 2d when the parts are in the desired overlapping relation for effecting the connection between the electrical conductors 255 for which they constitute the terminals. In this form of the invention, to secure the desired interlocking of the parts against lengthwise or sidewise displacement or disconnection and, at the same time, to insure good electrical conductivity between the contact faces thereof, the spring clip 2d is formed, as shown in Figure 10, of a highly resilient metal, metal alloy or other suitable. material, generally:- ti-shaped: in; cross section with para-lick pressure. arms, so, that. it.

maybe slipped. laterally over and: clamp the; over-.:. lapping blades. Each of the arms. of the U are-,-

. in the example.- illustrated, turned, as shown, at;

M5, to! engage. an outer face of, one. of the blades-..

4d and thus insure. the; pressing; of the inner :facesv of the blades into good electrically conductive; engagement. with. each other. It. will; be seen ,that the inturned arms 51 3 or the clip 2d ex tend; far enough so that. when the; clip. is; slipped overthe blades it will engage the. outer faces. thereof throughout their width. The clip. Zdzis. alsoof sufiicient; length so that it enga es; the

outer faces of: the. blades 4d Substantially thraush-= out their overlain In order to, eifect. the: interlocking of: the. torminals against lengthwise; or sidewise displace.-: ment. or disconnection, each of the inturnedv arms; id. of the. clip. is. provided with av spring tooth. is: stamped up from the material? of? the. arm in such. manner that. when the. clip 211, is. slipped over the bladestd sidewisethese teeth 45. will spring into. the. openings 40. in. the-twdblades,

; the dimensions. of: the teeth. it. length-wise ot the:

blades being' substantially equal to, but slightly. less. than, the lengthwise dimension. of the open-a ings-ttwhereby the. teeth serve not only to. prevent lengthwise displacementof" the-blades id but also to resist sidewise displacement thereof.

When the blades'are-to be separated any direct pull; or push is ineffective; but, due to-the spacing between the back of the clip 2d and theedgeof the blades Ad, the bl'ades canbe swung to an angle, pushed toward the clip, sothat the sloped J cal with that shown in Figures 9 and 1i) but the gaging the openings til of the blades: and: lockingthe: blades against lengthwise-and sidewise di placementcompri-se bosses we stamped up-cn the arms. Este-ofi'c-lipi eandof substantially theoutline of: the holes till sothat when sprung into position intheholes dfi they eif ect: the desiredretentiem of theblades against lengthwise and sidewise displacement. It will be seen that the edges of the bosses Alfie which engage the sides of the openings 40 are sufficiently rounded so that the clip may readily be sprung into interlocking relation to the blades so and equally readily sprung out of such interlocking relation.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 12, the interlocking of the blades 4 there shown against lengthwise and sidewise displacement is eifected by stamping each blade with a projection 30; on one face and a recess 32 on the other face for cooperation respectively with recess 32 f or projection 30 of the adjacent blade and then providing a clip 2 having the inturned arms 44 thereof so curved at 56 as to span the projection 30) while engaging the blade on both sides.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 13 to 15, inclusive, the clip 29, as shown, comprises simply straight inturned arms 44g which smoothly engage the smooth outer faces of the blades 49 shown in this form of the invention, the interlocking of these blades, when the connector is assembled, being effected by upturned ears 32g engaging the oblique shoulders 30g which connect the neck portion 64 with the blade portion 4g thereof, the neck portions 64 bein preferably integral with the ferrule 24g as well as the blade 49. It will be seen that, when these blades are assembled in the relation shown in Figures 13 to and the spring clip 29 is sprung into clamping relation thereto as shown in Figure 15, the ears 32g, engaging the oblique shoulders 30g on each of the enlarged blades do, will effectively prevent either relative lengthwise or relative sidewise movement of the blades 4g. For disconnection, the clip 2g is slipped off whereupon the blades drop apart.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 16 and 1'7, each of the blade portions 4h of the counterpart terminals is provided with a pin or stud 12 which is received in a transversely extending slot 14 of the other blade so that when the blades are brought into face-to-face contact with each other they are locked against lengthwise displacement. against the sides of the pins 12, this construction also obviously resists angular displacement of the blades 4h with respect to each other so long as they are held in face-to-face contact. As shown in Figure 16, the clip 2h, employed to maintain the blade 4h in face-to-face contact in the form of the invention shown in Figures 16 and 17, may be like that shown in Figure 15.

I claim:

1. A connector comprising a contact blade of highly conductive metal constructed and arranged to be brought into overlapping engagement with a counterpart connector with extensive face-toface contact, means for securing a counterpart blade in pressed face-to-face contact, and resiliently releasable interlocking means mounted on said connector and adapted to lock the counterpart connector against sliding withdrawal while in face-to-face contact.

2. A connector according to claim 1 in which the means for securing the counterpart blade in pressed face-to-face contact comprises a clip of a more highly resilient metal composition than that of the blade.

3. A connector according to claim 1 in which the means for securing the counterpart blade in pressed face-to-face contact comprises a clip of a more highly resilient metal composition than that of the blade, secured to the blade and extending from one edge across its contact face.

Since the slot 14 fits closely.

4. Aconnector according to claim 1 in which the means for securing the counterpart blade in pressed face-to-face contact comprises a clip of a more highly resilient metal composition than that of the blade, secured to the blade and extending from one edge across its contact face, and the interlocking means is a catch on the end of said clip adapted to snap over and engage the opposite edge of the counterpart terminal.

5. A connector comprising a blade member having a face adapted to make a face-to-face contact, means for connecting said blade member to a conductor, means for holding the face of a counterpart blade member pressed against said face of said blade member, and releasable spring catch means adapted to lock said blade member against sliding disengagement when coupled to a counterpart blade member.

6. A connector comprising two portions, each of said portions having a face section for positioning one against the other; interlocking means to prevent movement of the sections in the plane of the respective faces; and gripping means for preventing separation of the two sections in a direction normal to the plane of their faces; said gripping means being a U-shaped spring clasp applied to said portions in the plane of the faces.

7. A connector comprising two portions, each of said portions having a face section for positioning one against the other, interlocking means to prevent movement of the sections in the plane of the respective faces, gripping means for preventing separation of the two portions in a direction normal to the plane of their faces, and said gripping means being movable with respect to one of said portions and the plane of the faces.

WILLIAM S. WATTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

